Fire extinguisher



May 14, 1935- l c. A. NRGREN 2,001,394

FIRE EXTINGUISHE Filed OCT.. 26, 1931 g- Y w lNVENToR. l

BY l Wam/@f4 a/Fn/ ATToRNEY FIRE EXTINGUISHEB.

. Carl A. Norgren, Denver, Colo.

Application October 26, 1931, SerialyNo, 571,137

' Vnl wi. ics-31) This invention relatesto iire extinguishers of thetype exemplied in the co-pending application for Patent Serial No.509,166, led January 16, 1931.

5 The distinguishing feature of this type of extinguisher resides intheprovision of a container for a tire-extinguishing liquid, such as carbontetrachloride, and in direct connection therewith a normally sealedcapsule containing a pressure l gas and having an outlet closed by aseal which when punctured, vadmits the gas to the container. Thecontainer has a normally closed outlet through which the fireextinguishing liquid is forcibly ejected under pressure of the expandingl gases, and manuallyloperatei means 1 are provided for puncturing theseal of the capsule when the device is put in operation. The presentinvention resides in improvements in details of construction and in theprovision of improved 29 and newly devised parts all of which enhancethe eiiciency of the extinguisher and aid in maintaining it in acondition for instant use during an unlimited period of time, and undercircumstances which frequently impair the operativeness of extinguishersof different types used heretofore. The nature and construction of theimprovements will be fully brought out in the following description andin the hereunto appended claims, it being understood that while thenovel .features of the present invention have. been shown in a practicalform, variations in their form and construction may be resorted towithin the scope oi the invention.

In the accompanying drawing inthe several views oi which like parts aresimilarly designated,

Figure 1 represents a partially broken elevation oi the improvedextinguisher,

Figure 2, a sectional elevation of the upper end-portion of the same,drawn to an enlarged scale, i

Figure 3, a section taken on the line 3 3, Figure 2, and

Figure 4, an enlarged sectional view of the strainer at the intake endof the siphon tube of the device.

Referring further to the drawing, the improved fire extinguishercomprises a cylindrical container 5 made of suitable pressure-resistingmetal such as drawn steel, and having semi-spherical ends. The containermay be copper-plated, interiorly, to resist corrosion and its exteriorsurface may be nickel plated or otherwise finished.

The cylinder is usually made in two parts lapping end-portions of whichare united by means structed is capable of withstanding unusually largepressures far exceeding the pressure of ap- 5 proximately 250 pounds towhich the device is subjected in ordinary use.

The container has at its upper end, a central opening 6 in which iits anexteriorly flanged neck 1 for the support oi a capsule-housing B.

The ilange la of the neck engages the inner surface of the containeraround the opening and the housing 8 has a corresponding shoulder 8a`bearing upon the outer edge of the neck l.

The capsule housing and the neck have, re- 15 spectively, exterior andinterior screw threads whereby the one may be screwed into the other,and a gasket e preferably made of copper, placed between the shoulder ofthe housing and the end of the neck, seals the joint between the parts.30 The capsule-housing is of one-piece construction, it is exteriorlythreaded at its upper open end for the application of a screw-cap I0,and it has at its lower end, within the container, a recess l2 toprovide a seat for the slightly smaller neck 25 I3@ of the capsule shownat I3.

The body of the capsule occupies the housing and projects without thesame into the screwcap l0 and the contracted neck l3a of the capsule ishermetically'closed .at its end by a metallic 30 seal I4 so formed thatit may be punctured under pressure to provide an outlet for the,pressure 'fluid with which the capsule is filled at the fac tory. Asealing ring i5 made of soft leather or other suitable material, isplaced in the recess 35 to support the capsule and to effect anair-tight seal when the capsule is pressed downwardly by rotation of thescrew-cap. A small paper lining I6 is placed around the body of thecapsule inside the housing to prevent rattling of the capsule 40especially when the extinguisheris mounted in or transported bya movingvehicle. Supported upon the bottom of the-recess I2 by means of a flangeIia is a sharp-pointed prong or needle I1 which extends through thesealing ring I5 and 45 which is adapted to puncture the seal of thecapsule under pressure. The prong or needle has an' axial bore for thepassage of iluid discharged from the capsule into a valve chamber I8 a-tthe extreme inner end of the housing '8, and ,thence 50 through4 one ormore-apertures I9a inthe wall of a screw-cap i9 that closesthevalve-chamber, into the container 5.

^ A spring-pressed:disk-valve 20- provided withl a seal of softresilient material not aiected by 55 .of sufcient size to insure in theoperation of the device the instant and constant ejection of the ilreextinguishing liquid in a steady stream by pressure of the expandinggases discharged from the punctured capsule.

'Ihe outlet of the container is provided with a 4 jet 22 at the upperportion of the same. The jet or nozzle is screwed into a shouldered plug23 sealed in an opening of the container, and its narrow bore is alinedwith a bore of the plug,

.into which the liquid contents ofthe container are ejected by means ofa Siphon-tube 24.

The Siphon-tube extends in substantially parallel relation to the axisof the container, to a point'adjacent the lower end of the same, andterminates in a strainer-block 25 held against the side of the containerbymeans of a tensioned copper-coated steel spring 26.

The spring is placed transversely of the container and it braces thestrainer-'block so as to hold it firmly in contact with the wallthereof. 'Ihe block has an open recess 26a provided with apertures 26efor the entrance of the liquid and in the recess is a bronze strainer 21over an opening of the block in which the end of the Siphon-tube isfitted. The strainer-fixture not only prevents the entrance of' dirtparticles which possibly might obstruct the free flow of liquid throughthe tube and the jet, but also holds the lower end of the Siphon-tube inxed position.

The end-portions 24a and 24e of the siphontube extend at an angle to thebody portion of the same and in diverging relation to each other and thebore of the jet connecting with the upper end-portion of the tube, is atan angle of approximately forty-ve degrees to the axis of the container,all of which aids in effecting a forceful ejection of the liquidunhampered by unwarranted friction with the parts lthrough which itpasses, and makes it possible to entirely drain the container of all ofits liquid contents.

In this connection, it is to be understood that in the use of theextinguisher, the container i's held with its top above the horizontalat any desired angle. 'Ihe jet or nozzle at the upper end of thecontainer is normally closed by a seal of resilient material fitted andsecured within a small cap 28 which is swiveled in an opening of a iiatsealing spring 29. The spring is at one end hingedly connected with aclevis 30 clamped around the exterior portion of the plug 23 and a benttip 29a at its opposite end bears against the screw-cap Ill at the loweredge thereof.

The cap has immediately above its said edge a circumferential grooveIlla provided with a notch |0c to release the tip from the edge of thecap whenthe latter is screwed upon the capsule housing.

The spring 29 presses the seal-member 28 firmly against the end of thejet and at the same time presses upwardly against the cap to effect 'afluid tight contact between its screw-threads 2,001,894 tation by meansof a small wire seal 3| passing through openings in the cap and theshoulder of the capsule-housing.

This seal is easily broken and its principal object is to provide forinspectors visual evidence that the extinguisher is in its originaloperative 'condition and has not been tampered with.

In practise, the container is illled with a tlrey the pressure requiredfor its expulsion being provided only when by puncturing the seal oflthe capsule, the pressure gas contained therein is liberated to enterthe expansion space above the liquid in the container. 'Ihefirefextinguishing liquid is ejected from the container only by theexpansive force of the liberated gases. No chemicals or other means forgenerating gases are employed.

It is to be noted that the improved extinguisher has but three partsthat may open to the atmosphere and that all of these parts arehermetically sealed against loss of fluid by evaporation or leakage.Withdrawal of any part of the fire-extinguishing liquid or removal ofthe capsule, or unwarranted rotation of the screw-cap without detectionare prevented by the wire seal and corrosion of the jet is prevented bythe springpressed seal 2B which hermetically closes and covers the sameas long as the screw-cap is in its normal position as shown in Figure 1.In case of fire, the operator grasps the container in one hand anddirects the jet-opening toward the blaze.

With the other hand, the operator advances the screw-cap upon thecapsule housing with the result that the seal 3| is broken, the sealingspring 29 is released and the closure of the capsule is broken with theresult that the pressure gas is released into the expansion space abovethe liquidlevel of the container. The high pressure of the expanding gasupon the liquid causes the latter to be forcibly ejected through the nowopen jet. The ejected. stream breaks up in the form of a spray at acomparatively short distance from th extinguisher and the spray beingvaporized by the heat of the fire, forms a gas which extinguishes thesame.

Owing to peculiar construction and position of the siphon tube, theentire contents of the container are thus discharged within the timere-A quired by the underwriters.

When the seal of the capsule is pressed into contact with the prongwhich punctures the same, the neck of the capsule is at the same timedriven onto the sealing ring which by its consequent compressionprevents the gas from escaping to the atmosphere.

The liquid is discharged through the-jet at high velocity in acontinuous steady stream which is accurately directed to the fire, andif at any time during the operation, it is desired to discontinue theissuance of the fire extinguishing liquid, the jet opening may beinstantly closed by placing the index finger of the hand in which thecontainer is held, over the opening.

It is an important feature The parts of the jet assembly may be cadmiumplated to prevent possible corrosion by acid fumes, salt air or othercauses, and inasmuch as the ejection of the fire-extinguishing liquidthrough the jet is continued until all the contents of the containerhave been discharged, the possibility of keeping a partially emptiedextinguisher for future use, is eliminated and the device must berestored to its original condition by the provision of a fresh quantityof carbon tetrachloride, and a new charged capsule, before it may beused again.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A re extinguisher comprising a container having an opening at an endthereof, a neck projecting inwardly from the opening, a capsule housingheld by the neck, to project at opposite sides of the opening, andhaving at its inner end a recess and a valve chamber connected therewith'by a passage, a bored puncturing prong in` the passage, aspring-pressed valve in the valve chamber, a screw-cap upon the lowerend of the capsule housing having an egress-aperture extending laterallywith respect to the axis of the housing, in connection with thevalve-chamber, a resilient gasket in the recess, a sealed capsule in thehousing resting upon the gasket and extending beyond the outer portionof the housing, and a screw-cap upon said outer portion of the housing,engaging the capsule.

2. A fire extinguisher comprising a container for a fire extinguishingliquid, a capsule for a pressure gas, housed at an end of the container,and having a sealed outlet within the same, means for breaking the seal,to admit the pressure gas to the container, by movement of the capsule,a device to effect said movement of the capsule from without thecontainer, a jet for the forcible discharge of the liquid from thecontainer under huid-pressure, a closure for the jet, and springmeanspressing upon the closure and the said device to effect theirfluid-tight engagement with the parts with which they are associated,the said spring-means and the device being cooperatively associated tojointly effect a separation of the closure from the jet-opening in theoperation of the extinguisher.

3. A re distinguisher comprising a container for a fire extinguishingliquid, a capsule for a pressure gas, housed at an end of the container,and having a sealed outlet Within the same, means for breaking the seal,to admit the pressure gas to the container, by movement of the capsule,a screw cap to eiect said movement of the capsule from without thecontainer, a jet for forcible discharge of theliquid from the containerunder fluid-pressure, a closure for the jet and spring means holding theclosure in place by engagement with the screw-cap, said spring means andthe screw-cap having means for releasing the spring from engagement withthe screw cap upon rotary movement thereof, thereby releasing saidclosure from said jet.

4. A re extinguisher comprising a container for a re extinguishingliquid, a capsule for a pressure gas, housed at an end of the container,and having a sealed outlet within the same, means for breaking the seal,to admit the pressure'gas to the container, by movement of the capsule,a screw-cap to effect said movement of the capsule from without thecontainer, a jet for forcible discharge of the liquid from the containerunder fluid-pressure, a closure for the jet and-,spring means holdingthe closure in place by engagement with the screw-cap, the screw-caphaving a notch to release the spring meansduring a rotary movement ofthe cap.

5. A fire extinguisher comprising a container for a lre extinguishingliquid, a capsule for a pressure gas, housed at an end of the container,and having a sealed outlet within the same, means for `breaking theseal, to admit the pressure gas to the container, by movement of thecapsule, a screw-cap to effect said movement of the capsule from withoutthe container, a jet for forcible discharge of the liquid from thecontainer under fluid-pressure, a closure for the jet, a spring holdingthe closure in place, hinged at one end and having at its opposite end,a tip engaging the screw-cap, the latter having a notch to release thetip of the spring during rotary movement of the cap.

6. In a re extinguisher, a container for fireextinguishing liquid,having at one end a normally closed outlet, mechanism to subject theliquid in the container to fluid-pressure, for its forcible ejectionthrough the outlet, a, tube extending from the outlet, lengthwise of thecontainer and having an intake portion bent toward the wall of thecontainer at the opposite end of the same, a strainerelement against thewall, in connection with said intake portion, and spring-means forholding the element in place. y

'7. In a fire extinguisher, a container for fireextinguishing liquid,having at one end a normally closed outlet, mechanism to subject theliquid in the container to fluid-pressure, for its forcible ejectionthrough the outlet, a tube extending from the outlet, lengthwise of the4container and having an intake portion bent toward the wall of thecontainer at the opposite end of the same, a strainerelement against thewall, in connection with said intake-portion, vand a spring transverseof the container, bracing the element in place,

8. In a fire extinguisher, a container having a discharge nozzle, acasing having a rupturable wall portion within the container, manuallyoperable means for opening communication between the container and thecasing through said rupturable wall portion, and a spring platereleasably engaged with the manually operable means and with the nozzleto effect closure of the same, said spring plate and said manuallyoperable means being arranged to effect release of the spring plate fromsaid manually operable means and from said nozzle upon opening. of thecasing by movement of said manually operable means.

9. In a re extinguisher, a closed container having a discharge nozzle, aclosed casing having a rupturable wall portion within the container.manually-operable means acting upon said wall portion for openingcommunication between the chambers of the container and casing, and aspring-plate releasably engaged with the manually-operable means andclosing the nozzle and released by movement of said lmeans.

10. In a fire extinguisher, a closed container having a dischargenozzle, a closed casing having a rupturable wall portion within thecontainer,

manually-operable means acting upon said wall.

portion for opening communication between the chambers of the containerand casing, and a bowed spring-plate 'slidably but detachably engagedwith the manually-operable means and detachably yengaged with andclosing the nozzle and released by movement of said means, .A

CARL A. NoaGREN.,

